We continue our Bolt Prospect of the Week award, an honor (virtually) given to one Tampa Bay Lightning prospect for his recent contributions on and off the ice.

The Bolt Prospect of the Week for April 1, 2015 is … Cameron Darcy, C, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL – Canada).

The QMJHL’s second season started last week and Cameron Darcy began with a bang.

The Lightning’s seventh round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft had a hat trick and five points in Game 2 of Sherbrooke’s first round series against Charlottetown. The Phoenix had lost the first game by a large margin and were sitting on the cliff of falling down 2-0 in the series at home. Darcy was named the game’s first star.

The Boston native followed up his Game 2 performance with two more goals in Game 3, a loss by the Phoenix on Prince Edward Island. His two goals gave him five goals and seven points in two games, and our Bolt Prospect of the Week award.

(Tampa Bay Lightning release) The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Brayden Point to a three-year, entry-level contract, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced today. Additionally, Point has signed an AHL amateur try out contract to play the remainder of the 2014-15 season with the Syracuse Crunch.

We continue our Bolt Prospect of the Week award, an honor (virtually) given to one Tampa Bay Lightning prospect for his recent contributions on and off the ice.

The Bolt Prospect of the Week for March 18, 2015 is … Slater Koekkoek, D, Syracuse Crunch (AHL – USA).

Slater Koekkoek made a key adjustment, and now the points are starting to flow.

A mobile defenseman used to rushing the puck himself in junior hockey, the Syracuse Crunch rookie has learned to make a quick pass and then follow the play to look for offensive opportunities. Koekkoek’s transition has begun to pay dividends, as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2012 first-rounder recorded eight points and is a plus-6 in his last 10 games.

Reading junior hockey game recaps over the last decade has taught me something – it’s always hard for a visiting player to make the game star list as a visitor. It either has to be a no-doubt performance or the home team’s media has to really like the player.

Lightning prospect Brayden Point frequently falls into both categories, resulting in a plethora of game stars.

We continue our Bolt Prospect of the Week award, an honor (virtually) given to one Tampa Bay Lightning prospect for his recent contributions on and off the ice.

The Bolt Prospect of the Week for February 25, 2015 is … Vladislav Namestnikov, C, Syracuse Crunch (AHL – USA).

With Vladislav Namestnikov in a four-game point drought and the Syracuse Crunch on a five-game losing streak, both looked to rebound.

The Crunch’s top line center registered a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over Albany Friday, added a helper in a 5-3 victory over Binghamton Saturday, and recorded the game-winner and two assists in a 4-3 win in Rochester Sunday. The six-point, plus-five weekend earned Namestnikov the honor of being named the American Hockey League Player of the Week Monday, and our Bolt Prospect of the Week today.

Coming into the season, Lightning 2011 sixth rounder Adam Wilcox had a lot of expectations on his shoulders. He was a Hobey Baker nominee and Mike Richter Trophy finalist as the nation’s best goaltender, and would be the unquestioned No. 1 once again for the mighty Gophers. Wilcox’s future was so bright, talk started that he may choose not to sign with the Lightning and instead become a free agent in the summer of 2015 and shop his services elsewhere.

We continue our Bolt Prospect of the Week award, an honor (virtually) given to one Tampa Bay Lightning prospect for his recent contributions on and off the ice.

The Bolt Prospect of the Week for January 21, 2015 is … Kristers Gudlevskis, Syracuse Crunch (AHL – USA).

For Kristers Gudlevskis, every time he straps on the pads is a little bit different.

There has been no better example than the last two weeks. The Syracuse Crunch goalie allowed a pair of goals on nine shots and was pulled after the first period against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton January 10, but rebounded by making 47 saves on 49 shots in more than 97 minutes of ice time in a pair of appearances last weekend.

We continue our Bolt Prospect of the Week award, an honor (virtually) given to one Tampa Bay Lightning prospect for his recent contributions on and off the ice.

The Bolt Prospect of the Week for January 14, 2014 is … Brendan O’Donnell, University of North Dakota (NCAA – USA).

Brendan O’Donnell is exhibit-A for why teams spend a late round draft pick on an under-the-radar high school or junior-A player and then allow them extended development time in college.

The Lightning’s 2010 sixth round pick from the Winnipeg South Blues of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League is now a senior at the University of North Dakota. After playing in Penticton of the BCHL the season after he was drafted, and then a mostly injury-plagued career with UND, the 6-foot, 193-pound left wing turned the proverbial corner late last year in his development. He continued that into the Lightning’s summer prospect camp, where he was one of the standouts in front of his potential future bosses.

A lot was expected of O’Donnell as a senior leader with UND this season as he was to be in more of an offensive role than previous years. Things didn’t start out as fast as he may have liked, but like his collegiate career, it took some time for things to come together.

After a nice holiday break, we continue our Bolt Prospect of the Week award, an honor (virtually) given to one Tampa Bay Lightning prospect for his recent contributions on and off the ice.

The Bolt Prospect of the Week for January 7, 2014 is … Cameron Darcy, Center, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL – Canada).

There are turnarounds, then there's what Lightning prospect Cam Darcy is doing.

Darcy’s story is well known – he was intent on getting a pro contract last fall, but the Lightning sent him back to juniors for an overage year so he could get stronger. The South Boston native didn’t produce anywhere close to the level that made him a second team all-star with Cape Breton last year and eventually the Eagles had to move on. Darcy was traded to Sherbrooke, where he suddenly found his game again.